Pivoted jaw type, internally threaded socket wrench



July 31 19 51 w. w. FLUGRATH 7 2,562,307

PIVOTED JAW TYPE, INTERNALLY THREADED SOCKET WRENCH Filed Feb. 24, 1947 s PATENT OFFICE UNITED STATE PIVOTED JAW TYPE, INTERNALLY THREADED SOCKET WRENCH wa ter W. Flugrath, New Braunfels, Tex. Application February 24, 1947, Serial No. 730,349

2 Chums.

. This invention relates to a novel construction of wrench especially adapted for use in plumbing and .pipe fitting for screwing short nipples intopipes or which may be also utilized for set- 2 generally 8 and comprises an elongated handle 9 having a wrench head I!) at one end thereof and a wrench head Hla at its opposite end. The wrench head I!) is substantially circular ting stud bolts. i and is formed of substantiallysemi-circular sec- More particularly; it is an object of the inventions I I and I2. The section II is formed integral tion to provide a Wrench especially intended to with the handle 9 and the section i2 is hingedly be utilized in threadedly applying short nipples connected to the section II at l3, at one end of w h; are externally threa hroughout their the meeting faces of the jaws or sections H and length and the threads ofwhich are ordinarily 10 12 forming th head In. damaged by attempting to apply such nipples The hinge, designated generally 13, as best with a conventional pipe wrench. illustrated in Figures 5 and 7 includes barrel porhe O j theiinvention is to provide a tions I4 and I5 which form integral parts of the wre ch Which y be utilized i 7 applying p p jaws I I and [2, respectively, and-which are laterof any l n th y en men w h a thr a d d 15 ally offset, as best seen in Figure '7. Said jaws I 1 thereof in su h a ma a t p v mar ns and 12 are also provided in alignment with their 0f th p pe frequently Occurs with the use barrel portions l4 and IS with arcuate recesses of conventional p pe W e c s h v t d Q1 16 and ll, respectively, for receivingthe barrel serrated faces. portions l5 and M, respectively, for arranging Still another Object of the invention is to pro- 20 said barrel portions in alignment for receiving a vide ;W e havlng a threaded socket for rehinge pin 1 l8, also constituting a part of the ceiving thev threaded end of a nipple or pipe for hinge l3. effectively holding said end for rotation of the The fixed jaw II is provided with a recess 19 p p pp y e Wrenehat the side edge thereof remote from the hinge l3 2 Still another object of the invention is to proand which is provided 1 with a stepped portion vide a wrench having a head provided with a forming a downwardly facing shoulder 20. The threaded socket and which is formed of pivotally hinged jaw 12 is provided at its free end with a connected sections Capable of being Opened for depending barrel portion 2| which extends from receiving a threaded end of a pipe or nipple and one side to intermediate of the sides thereof and thereafter latched in a closed position for rewhich is disposed to be received in a portion of taining said pipe or nipple end within the wrench the recess l9 when the jaw 12 is in a closed posihead socket, tion, as seen in Figures 1 and 3. A latch mem- Various other objects and advantages of the her 22 is provided with an offset barrel portion invention will hereinafter become more fully ap- 23 at its upper end which is disposed in alignparent from the following description of the ment with the barrel 2| for receiving a hinge pin drawing, illustrating a preferred embodiment 24 for pivotally connecting the latch element 22 thereof, and wherein: to the free end of the hinged jaw 12. The latch Figure 1 is a top plan view of a preferred em- 22 tapers in thickness toward its free end and bodiment of the wrench; is provided on its inner side and adjacent its Figure 2 is a fragmentary edge elevational view pivoted end with a stepped portion forming an of one end thereof; upwardly facing shoulder 25 arranged to engage Figure 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view under the shoulder 20 when the head In is closed, of said end; as seen in Figures 1 and 3 and when the latch Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showelement 22 is disposed in the recess 19. ing the movable jaw of the wrench in an open The head I!) is provided on its under side with position; i an internally threaded socket 25 which extends Figure 5 is across sectional view taken 'substanfrom said under side to adjacent the opposite, tially along a plane as indicated by the line 55 upper side thereof, as best seen in Figure 6. The of Figure 1; recess 26 is formed half by the fixed jaw H and Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view therehalf by the hinged jaw l2, each of which parts is of taken substantially along a plane as indicated 0 provided with a semicircular recess opening outby the line 6-6 of Figure 1, and wardly of its under side and abutting edge.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective and ex- The wrench 8 is especially adapted for use in ploded view of portions of the wrench head. threadedly applying short, externally threaded Referring more specifically to the drawing, the nipples in pipe fittings or plumbing. Such nipimproved wrench in its entirety is designated 56 ples are ordinarily threaded at least at both ends leased to be swung to an open position as seen in Figure 4 and the end of the nipple, as indicated at 21 in Figure 6 in dotted lines, may then be inserted into the opened socket 26 and'dis-- posed in abutting engagement with the closed end thereof. The hinge jaw I2 is then swung to a closed position and secured by the latch 22. The nipple 21 can then be turned by the, wrench 8 without danger of damaging the threads thereof located in the socket 26 due to the fact that the turning movement of the wrench 8 in a direction for applying the nipple 21 will merely cause the end of the nipple, engaged by the socket 26, to abut more firmly against the closed end of the socket. After the nipple has been applied, the latch 22' is disengaged and the jaw l2 swung to an open position for detaching the wrench 8 therefrom.

The wrench head [a, located at the opposite end of the handle 9 is identical in construction to the wrench head 10 and differs therefrom only in that it is of a different size or at least isprovided with a different size nipple receiving socket.

Obviously, the wrench 8 may be utilized for applying stud bolts or for applying long pipe, both ends of which are externally threaded, where it is desired to avoid marring the surface of the pipe with a conventional pipe wrench.

Various modifications and changes in the construction of the invention as heretofore disclosed are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I, claim as my invention:

1. In a wrench for applying externally threaded nipples or the like, a substantially fiat relatively thin wrench head comprising a. fixed jaw and a movable jaw pivotally connected to the fixed jaw, an elongated handle formed integral with and extending from the fixed jaw, said fixed jaw being disposed transversely of the longitudinal axis of the handle, said head the fixed jaw, said head being provided with an internally threaded socket opening outwardly of one side only thereof and having substantially equalportionsiformed by each of the two jaws,.said socket being adapted to engage one of the'externally threaded ends of a nipple for rotating the nipple when the wrench is turned, said jaws having laterally offset barrel portions at corresponding endsof their jaw.faces,':each of said jaws being recessed at said ends for receiving the barrel portion of the other jawga. hinge pin extending through said barrel-por tions and combining therewith to form the pivot of the jaws, and Iatchmeans carried by the free end of the movable jaw for engagement with a portion of thefixed jaw for latching the jaws in closedposition.

WALTER W. FLUGRATH."

REFERENCES CITED The following references. are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 746,705 Hutchins Dec. 15, 1903 913,336 Westerbeck Feb. 23, 1909 1,099,811 Moise et a1. June 9, 1914 1,186,135 Rowe June 6, 1916 1,279,022 Scott Sept. 17, 1918 1,407,238 Twiss Feb. 21, 1922 1,487,746 Lamb Mar. 25, 1924 1,754,717 Hughens Apr. 15, 1930 1,855,143 Williams Apr. 19, 1932 2,328,433 Dyer Aug. 31,1943

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 405,353 Great Britain Feb.8, 1934 

